Separable frame and connected block structure



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Sept. 30, 1941.

I SEPARABLE FRAME AND CONNECTED BLOCK STRUCTURE Filed June 16', 1959 Patented Sept. 30, 1941 PATENT OFFICE SEPARABLE FRAME AND CONNECTED BLOCK STRUCTURE Hurxthal F. Frease, Canton, Ohio Application June 16, 1939, Serial No. 279,501

4 Claims.

My invention relates in general to separable frame and connected block structures for use as the'walls, floors, and roofs of buildings, for pavements, and for any other use, such as retaining walls, wherein separable frames and connected blocks are advantageous.

In most forms of block structures such as brick or tile walls, floors and pavements, the blocks are not positively connected with each other, but are joined by cement mortar, and are inseparable for all practical purposes. The erection of brick or tile walls and other brick or tile structures, requires the services of skilled masons at costs which are frequently so great as to prevent the workmen who make brick from buying and owning brick houses.

The objects of the present invention are in general to provide an improved separable frame and connected block structure which may be assembled and disassembled by the use of screw drivers and wrenches, reducing the amount of skilled labor required to erect buildings for example, enabling an owner-builder himself to do a major portion of the construction of a building, and enabling economical disassembly whenever desirable.

Further objects of the present invention include the provision of an improved separable frame and connected block structure, the parts of which may be made of any desired materials, and which is particularly adapted for utilizing frame parts of steel, and blocks of fired ceramic material, having usual brick or tile bodies, or which may be made of glass.

Further objects of the present invention in- 35 set of frame members II.

II and [2 as shown are flat metal, preferablyclude the provision of an improved separable frame and connected block construction adapted for permitting independent expansion and contraction of the frame and connected blocks.

25 Similar of frame members, the two sets of frame members constituting a criss-cross frame, preferably screw means connecting the two sets of frame members at their crossings, and blocks having 5 central grooves between tongues at opposite sides, one of the sets of criss-cross frame members extending in the grooves and clamping the tongues at one side of the blocks against the other set of frame members, and the blocks preferably having end and side faces abutting each other.

By way of example, embodiments of the improved separable criss-cross frame and connected block structure and the parts thereof are illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, in which Figure l is a fragmentary front elevation view of a wall including the present improvements;

Fig. 2, an enlarged transverse sectional view thereof as on line 22, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3, an oblique view of one of the improved blocks of the present invention, looking towards the back of the same.

numerals refer to throughout the several views.

The improved separable criss-cross frame and connected block structure is indicated generally similar parts by [0 and preferably includes one set of preferably uniformly spaced, preferably parallel frame members H which as shown extend vertically, and another set of uniformly spaced preferably parallel frame members [2, which as shown extend horizontally at one side of the The frame members steel strips, each of which has a plurality of preferably uniformly spaced apertures l3 formed therein, the apertures of the strips l2 registering The foregoing and other objects are attained With the apertures 0f the Strip H t e os by the structures, parts, combinations and subcombinations, which comprise the present invention, and the nature of which is set forth in the following general statement, and preferred embodiments of which, together with their mode of use are set forth by way of example in the following description, and which are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims forming part hereof.

ings of the strips, and screw means such as a bolt l4 and a nut l5 are provided for connecting each crossing of the criss-cross frame members or strips II and I2, the shanks l6 of each bolt I4 extending through the registering apertures l3 of the criss-cross frame members or strips II and I2.

A spacer sleeve I1 is preferably interposed between each crossing of the criss-cross frame The nature of the present invention may be members H and I2, and the shank l6 of the constated in general terms as including a first set of preferably uniformly spaced frame members extending in one direction, a second set of preferably uniformly spaced frame members ex necting bolt preferably extends through the aperture of the spacer sleeve IT.

The bolt connected crossing frame members I I and I2, thus constitute a criss-cross clamping tending crosswise and at one side of the first set frame, and the ends of the frame members [I are preferably connected to border members such as angles I8, and the ends of the frame members I2 are preferably connected to border members such as angles I9.

Improved blocks each indicated generally by 20 are clamp connected by the criss-cross frame members II and I2.

As shown, each block 2!! is a square block having opposite flat ends El and opposite grooved sides 23 adapting the blocks 20 to be formed when desired in an extrusion clay press.

The blocks 20 may be made of fired clay, glass, wood, metal, plastic, or any desired material, and may be in one piece as shown, or may be built up.

Each grooved side face 23 of each block has the groove 24 thereof extending longitudinally between two longitudinally extending side tongues 25 and 26, the side tongue 25 having a greater depth than the side tongue 25 and the tongues Hand 25 having offset or stepped side faces 2? and 28 respectively.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the criss-cross frame members H and I2 are assembled with and connect the blocks 25 by locating one set of the crisscross frame members, such as the frame members I2 in the grooves 24 of the blocks 20, and clamping the frame members I2 against the tongues 26 and the frame members I I.

The faces 21 of the longer tongues 25 of adjacent blocks 26 preferably abut each other as best shown in Fig. 2', and the faces 28 of the shorter tongues 26 of the block 20 are offset inwardly from the faces 21 a suflicient distance to accommodate the shanks I6 of the bolts I4 and the spacers II thereon.

The blocks 20 are thus positively and mechanically connected to the criss-cross frame members II and I2, but may be easily released from the criss-cross frame members II and I2 by unscrewing the bolts I4 from the nuts I 5.

In assembling the improved structure, the blocks 20 may be slid between the frame members I2 preassembled on the frame members II, or one of the frame members I2 may be bolted to the frame members II, a row of the blocks 20 may be laid against the first assembled frame member I2, the next frame member I2 may be then bolted to the frame members II, and another row of blocks 2!] may be inserted against the second frame member I2, and so forth.

By the improved construction as above set forth, adjacent blocks 20 abut each other at their end faces 2| and/or their side faces El, so that the exposed or front faces 29 of the blocks 20 form a continuous surface, and the frame members II and I2 and bolts I4 and nuts I5 are concealed, and this arrangement also provides for the transmission of compression forces between the abutting blocks when a load is applied to them.

The' improved structure III constitutes a selfsupporting structure which may be bodily moved after assembly to any desired place of use, and which is adapted for vcryrapid assembly and disassembly.

In the improved structure I0 as illustrated, some of the openings between the criss-cross frame members II and I2 do not have blocks 20 connected therein, primarily for clearly illustrating the details of construction. There are many instances however as forexample in ventilating partitions, where it is not desired to have a complete closure for an over-all opening, and

;- ing with an aperture of one of frame members of the other set at each of the 1 the improved structure If] is particularly well adapted for such uses.

The embodiments of the present invention illustrated and described herein are by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the same or to the particular details thereof, but is commensurate with the subject matter set forth in the claims hereof or originating herein, and the elements of any of such claims being intended to include their functional or structural equivalents as Will occur to a person skilled in the art.

'Iclaim:

1. In a separable frame and connected block structure, one set of laterally spaced longitudinally extending clamping frame members, another set of laterally spaced clamping frame members extending longitudinally crosswise of the first set, each clamping frame member of each set having formed therein a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures, an aperture of one of the clamping frame members of the one set registering with an aperture of one of the clamping frame members of the other set at each of the crossings of the frame members, screw means separably connecting the crossing frame members with each other, each screw means in cluding a shank extending thorugh one set of the registering apertures, spacer means interposed between the connected frame members at each crossing adjacent the shank of the screw connecting means, and blocks separably clamped between the crossing frame members.

2. In a separable frame and connected blockstructure, one set of laterally spaced longitudinally extending clamping frame members, another set of laterally spaced clamping frame members extending longitudinally crosswise of the first set, each clamping frame member of each set having formed therein a plurality of.

longitudinally spaced apertures, an aperture of one of the clamping framemembers of the one set registering with an aperture of one of the clamping frame members of the other set'at each of the crossings of the frame members, screw means separably connecting the crossing frame members with each other, each screw means including a shank extending through one set of the registering apertures, a spacer sleeve on the shank of each of the screw connecting means, each space-r sleeve being interposed be tween the crossing frame members connected by each screw means, and blocks separably clamped between the crossing frame members.

3. A criss-cross frame for a separable frame and connected block structure, the criss-cross frame including one set of laterally spaced longitudinally extending clamping frame members, another set of laterally spaced clamping frame members extending crosswise of the first set, each clamping frame member of each set having formed therein a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures, an aperture of one of the clamping frame members of the one set registerthe clamping crossings of the frame members, screw means separably connecting the crossing frame members with each other, each screw means including a shank extending through one set of the registering apertures, and spacer means interposed between the connected frame members at each crossing adjacent the shank of the screw connecting means.

4. A criss-cross frame for a separable frame and connected block structure, the criss-cross frame including one set of laterally spaced longitudinally extending clamping frame members, another set of laterally spaced clamping frame members extending crosswise of the first set, each clamping frame member of each set having formed therein a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures, an aperture of one of the clamping frame members of the one set registering with an aperture of one of the clampingframe members of the other set at each of the crossings of the frame members, screw means separably connecting the crossing frame members with each other, each screw means including a shank extending through one set of the registering apertures, a spacer sleeve on the shank of each of the screw connecting means, each spacer sleeve being interposed between the crossing frame members connected by each screw means.

HURXTHAL F. FREASE. 

